Prime Minister's Office
English rendering of PM’s address at Republic TV summit in Mumbai
First of all, I offer my heartfelt condolences over the tragic consequences of the hospital accident in Mumbai. I have talked to the Chief Minister regarding this. The state government is providing every possible help to the families of the victims. I extend my sympathies to the families who have lost their loved ones.
Friends,
Driven by a journalist and committed to journalism, Republic TV is one powerful experiment. Your channel has made its mark in a very short time. You are playing a vital role in delivering the right information to all the people of the country. I congratulate the entire management of Republic TV, every journalist working here, the reporters and stringers working in different parts of the country. Organizing such events for discussing the country's current situation and direction is inspiring the people for coming up with new solutions. Many congratulations to you all for the same.
Friends,
Before independence, mostly the freedom fighters used to be the journalists. The newspapers and journals played a significant role in India's independence. In independent India, there is also a need for positive stories. It is important that the desire for doing something for the nation and for carrying it forward arises in the people of the country. The zeal for having a 'Surajya'  must be the same as the spirit of Swaraj. We need to attain international heights in various sectors to ensure that India emerges as a global power.
The need of the hour is for the media to make its place internationally and to make India's voice heard globally just like it has done in the fields of science, technology, innovation and sports. Today the media world of India must accept this challenge.
Friends,
The two words –‘surging’ and‘India’, are the representation of the feelings of 130 crore Indians. The entire world is experiencing these feelings and vibrations. It is rapidly moving towards its right place at the international platform in every aspect of public life. India's identity is getting strengthened at every level, be it economically, or in terms of India's talent, its social order, cultural values or strategic power.
Friends,
Today I am on this media forum. You too love questions. Therefore, I will begin with a few questions. There is a saying in Hindi - Jaisa sang waisa rang . I too have caught that habit by spending a few moments with you. Just like a lot of information remains hidden behind the questions, you will find answers regarding 'Surging India' within my questions.
Friends,
Had anyone thought four years ago that India was moving towards becoming one of the countries in the ‘5 trillion dollar economy’ club? Had anyone thought four years ago that India's ranking of ease of doing business would improve from 142 to 77 and that India was moving rapidly towards becoming one of the countries in top 50? Four years ago, had anyone thought that more number of people would be travelling by flights than by AC trains? Four years ago, had anyone ever thought that the rickshaw pullers, vegetable vendors and tea-sellers too would be using the BHIM app and would enhance their self-esteem by having Rupay debit cards in their pockets?
Four years ago, had anyone ever thought that India's aviation sector would progress at such a rapid pace that the companies would have to place an order of 1000 new airplanes? And you all will be surprised to know that so far a total of 450 airplanes including private, public, governmental etc. are operational since independence. Now, an order of 1000 airplanes has been placed in a year. Four years ago, had anyone ever thought that National waterways in India would become a reality one day or a ship would sail on the river Ganga from Kolkata to carry cargo up to Varanasi? Four years ago had anyone ever thought that we would be testing an engineless AC-train with a speed of 180km per hour that too manufactured within India? Four years ago, had anyone ever thought that India would create a record by launching 100 satellites together? Moreover, it is moving forward towards the goal of 'Gaganyaan'. Four years ago did anyone ever think that India would shine in various fields ranging from start-ups to sports?
Friends,
Four years back no one had ever thought that the middleman, Christian Michel, in the chopper scam would be in India and serving his term in jail. Four years back no one had even thought that the Congress leaders, convicted for 1984 Sikh Genocide, would be punished and people would get justice. After all, why did these changes occur? The country is the same, people are the same, the bureaucracy is the same, our resources are the same, then what is the reason for this change?
Friends,
One type of psychology is prevalent here. If anyone approaches the court with a case against the government, the people start believing that the government might actually be wrong and the charges imposed by the person are right. Usually this has been our mentality that any charges of scams or corruption would be right because that is what we have always seen before. But for the first time it has been seen that when some charges of corruption are raised against the government in the highest court, the court gives them a clear reply that all the work has been done with complete transparency and honesty. No one had ever thought four years back that such a thing could actually happen in our country.
Brothers and sisters,
I have often seen that during broadcasts, you show two windows depicting the differences in the previous situation and the current situation. Even I have an interesting picture of the past and the present situation that makes 'surging India' more impactful.
Friends,
Today the country knows about the situation before 2014 when the percentage of cleanliness was less than 40%. Now by the end of 2018, the same has increased to more than 97%. According to the image of the country prior to 2014, only 50% of the people had bank accounts but by the end of 2018, almost all the families are now linked to the banking system. There is another picture of the country prior to 2014 when the number of tax payers were 3 crores 80 lakhs. This year this figure has increased to 7 crores approximately.
Similarly, 65 lakh businessmen were registered for paying taxes but now within 1.5 year, 55 lakh new businessmen and industrialists have come forward for registration. Prior to 2014, only 2 companies manufactured mobile phones. Now the number of mobile phone manufacturing companies has increased to more than 120 i.e. from 2 to 120.
Friends,
The two pictures of the changes from the past to the present situation of India depict a strong image of a 'surging India'. Everything has been possible because the government is moving ahead on the basis of policy driven governance as well as predictable and transparent policies. Consequently, today in India the highways are being constructed, the rail lines being doubled and electrified at twice the pace, work is underway on more than 100 new airports and heliports and the projects stuck-up for about 30-40 years are now being completed.
Today wherever you go, you are bound to see at least one sign board with the words -'work in progress'.
Friends,
These sign boards in reality show 'India in progress'. The work for construction of roads, flyovers or metros is actually for building a 'New India'. Today I am in a city which is popularly known as 'the city that never stops'. Today I want to tell you that 'India is a country that never stops'. India is now determined that 'we won't stop, we won't slow down'.
Friends,
Every work in Mumbai such as the construction of the 22 kilometer long Mumbai Trans Harbor link, the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train, the double line sub-urban corridor, and hundreds of kilometers long metro corridor, started only after the formation of the BJP government at the centre in 2014. I was told that new trains are being added to the busiest section of Andheri-Virar line that will increase the capacity of the rail line by 33%.
Friends,
The needs of the country always existed. The needs of Mumbai always existed for the past several decades. But the work has started only now. Why? I also want to reveal to you the answer to this question. And I will try to answer according to the ways followed by the media.
Whenever I get time, I watch Arnab and rather I listen to him more, how he calls the guests to his show and has a ‘question and answer’ session with them. It is basically a show of two windows and multiple windows.
Friends,
A similar window is formed every month in Prime Minister’s Office in Delhi. This sitting takes place under PRAGATI and an account is taken for the projects stuck for decades. During the last four years, I have narrowed down to several projects that had remained in files for several years. I want to give you a piece of information that till date old projects worth more than Rs.12 lakh crores have been reviewed in these meetings. I will explain to you the importance of one single project and the hard-work behind it with an example of Mumbai.
Friends,
I clearly remember,about three years ago, in a PRAGATI meeting, the topic of Navi Mumbai International Airport came up. I was astonished! A committee was formed for the first time in November 1997 for the second airport in Mumbai. Since then for 20 years, the files just kept moving from one place to another. I would rather say that the files kept flying. Several governments were formed and changed but the files kept flying but not the airplanes. But the file of Navi Mumbai airport could not move forward.
Our government formed multiple windows in a PRAGATI meeting and brought all the officers and departments together and cleared all the obstacles before the project. Now the work on the Navi Mumbai airport is progressing at a rapid pace.
Imagine, this is just one project. Let me tell you, we have pushed similar projects worth Rs.12 lakh projects at a fast pace. This is a living example of transformation in the work culture that has been brought for a Surging India.
Friends,
A few years ago, I had narrated a story of two friends in an event. Once upon a time, two friends went to a forest for a stroll. But it was a thick forest with fierce animals. Therefore, they carried weapons such as good quality pistol and gun for defence. As they were unable to see clearly, they got down from the car and start strolling. Suddenly, they see a lion. But their weapons and guns were inside the car. They had left those weapons behind before they started strolling. Now a lion was right before them. How to handle this situation? Where and how to run? But one of them took out the license for his revolver and showed it to the lion- 'see, I have one'!
Friends,
A similar thing has been happening in our country. This was the approach of the previous government. Despite Acts and other things, there used to be no trace of action. When I had narrated the story back then, I was not even the Prime Minister. I had said at that time that we needed to move beyond Acts and take stronger actions. I will tell you how we accomplished it after forming the government.
Friends,
The previous government had formulated the Food Security Act. Their supporters started hailing the scheme! Everyone went all praises for the act. However, when we came to power in 2014, we found that only 11 states had availed the benefits of the scheme. Imagine, even after all those praises a large section of the population was deprived of the benefits of the scheme.
After we got elected we decided that the people of all the 36 states and Union Territories must get the benefits of this scheme. Similarly, during 2013-14, a lot of hue and cry was going on over whether 10 gas cylinders should be provided or 12. Elections were being contested over this agenda. Till 2014, only 55% of the households in India had gas connections.
Just imagine!Elections were being contested over whether 10 cylinders must be provided or 12 while half the population of India did not even have gas connections.
Friends,
Our government is working to come up with permanent solutions to the problems that are plaguing the country. We are trying to break all those systems that had been obstructing the country's development for decades. I want to give you all the example of Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code i.e. IBC.
Friends,
There was a strange tradition when it came to taking loans. If a poor person or a person from the middle class family used to take a loan of Rs.1lakh from a bank but couldn't repay, it was difficult for him to escape. Besides, you are also familiar with another image. There were thousands of companies in the country that used to take loans of not Rs.5 -10 lakhs or Rs.5-10 crores but Rs.500 crores - Rs.1000 crores.
However, when these companies used to suffered losses and couldn't repay the loans to the banks, the owners of these companies used to escape easily.
Friends,
The same system continued for 70 years since independence. Do you know the reason? This was because these companies had a protective shield. Under this protective shield, the directions of only a few special people and families used to work. This protective shield used to prevent the banks from carrying out investigations. This encouraged the companies further to not return the money taken from the banks. Who would have dared to ask them to repay it?
Brothers and sisters,
I know about all the hurdles that crossed their way. However, after 2016 I destroyed this protective shield with the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code. Today with a great pride I can say that such companies that used to take loans of thousands of crores and didn't repay it on the pretext of being sick and suffering losses, have now started repaying the loans.
Brothers and sisters,
Such companies have themselves come forward and have repaid approximately Rs.1.25 lakh crores to their creditors and banks in just within 2 years. Much of the amount came from the small industrialists and the MSME sector. Some of these companies were compelled to repay the loan amount of approximately Rs.1.75 lakh crore under the law. In a way, after 2016 when the law was implemented, these millionaires and their companies had to deposit approximately Rs.3 lakh crores to the banks. And this process is still continuing.
Friends,
Similarly, there is a stringent law for fugitive economic offenders. The property of such criminals is confiscated not only within the country but also outside it. This government is committed to ensure that such criminals do not find a place to hide in any corner of the world.
Friends,
Corruption was believed to be the new normal at one point of time. People started adjusting to it believing that one was somehow supposed to tolerate it. If at all anyone raised one’s voice against it and tried to remind of the laws and regulations, the reply that the person would get was –‘this is India and this is a normal thing’. Why should the status quo not change? Till when should the status quo remain the same and why?
Friends,
In the last four to four and a half years, I have been trying to change the same and to break all the shackles that have been holding the nation back. Some people are trying to mislead the country but I believe in the power of truth and the honest people of our country.
Friends,
Today our foreign policies are not dependent upon internal affairs or the pressure of appeasement. All our policies and schemes are for the welfare and happiness of all the people and the country. Everything about the relationship with the other countries is decided on the basis of the mutual benefits of the two countries.
This is the reason why the strength of the Indian passport has increased now. Now India's voice is heard seriously around the world. India is getting representation in all the powerful institutions of the world. The issues raised by India are now sensitively dealt with and special provisions are made for India. India's voice is heard in organizations like OPEC despite India not being a member.
Friends,
This is because of the world's faith in India and our strong relations with the countries. Those who betrayed India and played with her system are now under strict scrutiny of the laws and have been handed over to India.
Friends,
If there is transparency in public life and commitment and conviction towards working for the people, then the courage to take big and tough decisions comes automatically. There was a demand for GST in our country for decades. Today, we can say with a great satisfaction that after the implementation of GST, all the discrepancies of the market have been eliminated and the working capacity of the system is improving. We are moving towards transparency in the economy.
The hard-working people of the society and those who are associated with the market are now getting a clean and a simple system that is free from inspector Raj. The entire India has made a concerted effort to implement such a great tax reform. Everyone has made his/her contribution. India could bring about this sea change just because of this zeal of our businessmen and people.
It is not so easy to bring about even small tax reforms even in the developed countries.
Just like I said, before GST, the number of registered enterprises was only 66 lakh. Now it has increased to 1 crore 20 lakhs. In the initial days, GST was operating along with the system of VAT and excise in different states. After a lot of debate and discussion with the stakeholders, the state governments, the economists, tax practitioners, gradually the changes were made.
Friends,
Today the system of GST is properly in place to a great extent. And we are still committed to comply with the needs of the general public. I wish to tell you something really important. Today we are at a position where 99% of the things can be brought under the tax net of 18% or less. And we are moving in that direction. After that, only a few luxurious items will be taxed at the rate beyond 18% which includes airplanes, expensive cars, liquor, cigarettes etc. These form only 1% of all the items. In our opinion the system of GST must be made as simple and easy as possible. And I have already given my suggestions for the upcoming GST council meeting. All the states together decided that 99% of the items are taxed at the rate lower than 18%. Except for 1% of the things that includes airplanes, expensive cars, liquor and cigarettes, 99% of the items are for the use by the common man and should be taxed at the rate below 18%. We are moving towards our goals by relentlessly working on it.
Friends,
I and my government's vision is clear. That country of the world with the largest youth population can never have a small dream. Dreams, aspirations and goals should always be high. If we make honest efforts towards achieving the high goals, we will definitely achieve them. However, if the goals are small, the success too will be small.
Friends,
The complete system of the government and the government machinery developed with sustained efforts over 70 years. About 4-4.5 years ago, there was this same system and machinery. But now, both the speed and the scale of working has increased manifold. We are moving towards several goals at a rapid pace. India is now very close to accomplishing its goals of providing houses with 24 hours electricity, clean water and clean fuel to everyone. We are dedicated every moment to achieving our goals of education for the children, income for the youth, medicines for the elderly, irrigation for the farmers and grievances of the people being addressed.
Friends,
New India is playing its role on the international platform with a new confidence. It is redefining its role in a new global order. In the coming days, guests from around the world will have discussions on this role and my best wishes to you all for the same. I thank you all for giving me the opportunity to tell you about the zealous New India. And I believe that just like a few youngsters associated with journalism have started the Republic TV by carrying their dreams forward, it will also make its mark internationally. And now it will also be broadcast in Hindi and other languages. With my best wishes, I thank you all!